By the Lake
by moosefish
Summary: It's three years later and Haku keeps his promise to Chihiro. She quickly realises that being with Haku can be dangerous... my first fanfic! Don't be too hard! FINISHED
1. Tear Drops

I stared up at the sky. Rain fell from it like tear drops, quickly and beautiful. It mingled with my already drenched face. Nearly every night I came here. It was better than sleeping, not that I got much of that anyway. The past three years I'd felt…empty. I'd gotten a taste of what love felt like, and once you feel that, you can't take it away without hurting. It had been so long since I'd felt that. I only had memories of what it used to be. And if you live off memories, you're not really a person. You need the moment. But I knew I couldn't have that.

Ever.

I sat under the tree and stared at the leaves above me. They were a deep, luscious green, spidery veins drawn on them. The rain was dying down. The tiny lake stretched out in front of me, welcoming me in. I lay my sketchpad on the ground. If it was too cold to swim, I'd usually draw something. But tonight wasn't too bad. I quickly stripped off my clothes and pulled out my hair, placing the shimmering purple hair tie on my wrist. I waded into the water, and it lapped at my ankles, as if kissing me. I dove under, submerging my head. I shut my eyes, memories of my childhood replacing my vision. Memories of when I fell into a lake…

I came back up for air, gasping. The water seemed different tonight, I could tell. It glowed slightly, as if waking up. and that's when I felt a arm grab my waist and a hand slid over my mouth.

I was so shocked it took me a second to realise what was happening. I tried to pry the hand off my mouth, but it was locked securely. Same with the arm. I tried biting the person's hand. I tried screaming, but it didn't work so well.

"Chihiro."

I stopped thrashing. _This couldn't be…_

"Chihiro? Are you okay?" I tried to turn around in the person's grasp, trying to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. But if I was, it was a damn good one.

There was no denying it. He had the same big green eyes, riddled with worry. His emerald-tinged hair was wet, falling in his face. the same nose, mouth, body…it had to be.

"Haku?" I whispered as if it might break the spell. The boy nodded.

"Haku!" I yelled, throwing my arms around him, sobbing. "I didn't think you'd…"

"A dragon keeps his promises, especially to beautiful women like you," he whispered in my ear. I jumped. I'd forgotten I was naked. I quickly slid under the water, concealing my body. Haku laughed. I scowled. He turned around. I ran out of the water, throwing on my jeans and jersey. I tied my hair up in a messy, dripping ponytail, and collected my sketchpad off the ground. Haku was suddenly behind me, grabbing my thin hand.

"You're so thin." He observed. I shrugged.

"I've missed you." I began. "It's really good to see you." he smiled. "I've missed you, too. It's been a long three years."

"Tell me about it."

Haku opened his mouth to say something, but a delicate young woman with long, flowing whitish hair approached us.

**A/N: This is my first fanfic, don't be too hard! I really hope you enjoyed it =P. Please leave reviews and constructive criticism! Thank you! I do not own Spirited Away or any of Miyazaki's work! **


	2. Sakura

Her face was beautiful; intricate designs of cherry blossoms occupied her cheeks and the space around her brilliant eyes. She was angry.

Haku pushed me behind him. "What do you want, Sakura?" he growled. So her name was Sakura. It fit, judging by her face.

"It's nice too see you too, Kohaku," she snapped back. "I see you made it back from the Spirit World. Are you an expert magician?"

"Shut up, Sakura. I don't need this."

Her face twisted into a sly grin. "Aw, is the poor dragon boy being picked on?" I peered from behind Haku's back to see what was going on more clearly. She caught my eyes, the grin melting off her face.

"You," she hissed. "What are you doing here?" Haku protectively stepped in front of me.

"Sakura, please go away."

"Get over her, Kohaku! You know it can't last. And look, you've even started aging. How sad." Sakura taunted. She turned to leave. "This is going to go down well. The famous Kohaku has returned! And he's Bonded with a human…" Sakura laughed, disappearing into the trees. I blinked, trying to take in the scene.

Haku turned to me. "Are you okay, Chihiro?" I nodded slowly. "Who was that?" I said breathlessly, sitting down on a nearby rock.

"That's Sakura. Don't play any attention to her." he sat beside me.

"What was she talking about?" I asked.

"Sakura is jealous. She's used to having everything. So when she can't, she gets mad."

"She looked pretty angry. Tell me what happened."

He sighed. "Are you sure?" I nodded.

"Well, it was about fifteen years ago…I met Sakura while I was sitting in my river, in my human form. She was looking for someone, a gem spirit. She asked me whether I'd seen her, I told her I hadn't. then…we just talked a bit, until the spirit showed up. her name was Kira-kira."

_Glittering,_ I thought. _How suitable for a gem._

"After that, I thought she wouldn't come back, but she did. Nearly every day. And then we fell in love. We thought we'd bonded. But one day, there were humans at my river, so Sakura couldn't visit." He paused, looking sideways at me. "A small family was on the bridge, the girl sitting on the railing, swinging her legs. She looked down and said, 'Look, a fish!' she was referring to me. Her parents just nodded and kept talking.

"Then one of her shoes came lose, and she fell in after it. I felt a strong need to save her, unlike the others that fell in. So I did. And after I did, I couldn't get my mind off her. She stayed in my head. And I realised that I'd Bonded with her…it was so much more powerful than what I'd felt with Sakura. So I told her, and she never forgave me. So, I decided to get out of the human world."

I sat there for a moment, replaying the conversation in my head. "Who was the girl?" I asked. Why was he here with me? Shouldn't he be with her?

"You, of course," he said.

Holy crap. "That doesn't make any sense," I said.

"Uh, why not?" he asked, confused.

"Sakura is pretty, a spirit-" Haku laughed. I frowned. "What?"

"You're much prettier than her, don't worry," he said.

"But she's a spirit." I said bluntly.

"We'll just have to enjoy the time we've got," he said, and leant down and softly kissed me.

**A/N: I do not own any Spirited Away or any of Miyazaki's work! Please give reviews! **


	3. Blackout

"I have to go," I said, looking at the sky. I could see faint orange light coming cutting through the dark sky. "It's nearly dawn."

The two of us had spent the last few hours talking, kissing, and laughing. I hadn't even noticed time go by. I turned around to look for Haku, but he was gone. In his place was a huge white dragon with a green mane. He stared at me with big emerald eyes, beckoning me to climb aboard. I grinned and scrambled onto his back. We launched into the air, my slightly damp hair flinging backwards. I rested my head on his, and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Haku." And gently drifted to sleep.

I woke with a jerk. I looked at my alarm clock. Twelve o'clock? I was supposed to be at school! I quickly sat up, the blood rushing to my head, and yesterday's events. I rubbed my eyes and looked around.

"Your parents let you have a day off," a voice said in my ear. "They were glad you were sleeping." I turned and faced the owner of the voice.

"Good morning," I yawned. He kissed me on the cheek. I was still wearing my jeans from last night, my hair in a messy ponytail. I stood and stretched, quickly ran over to my wardrobe and pulled out some clothes. I turned to Haku. "I'm going to have a shower." He nodded.

The shower really woke me up. It suddenly all hit me. Haku was back. He had come back for _me_. I skipped back to my bedroom to find Haku flipping through my sketchpad.

Oh, crap.

My sketchpad was full of drawings of things I'd seen in the Spirit World. And the occasional leaf or tree. But mainly I drew him. He stared at them intently.

I cleared my throat. His head snapped up. "Sorry," he said, putting the sketchpad down. "You're really good." I smiled, sitting down next to him. "Thanks."

A crash interrupted our conversation. I jumped up and looked out the window. A small dragon was looking rather miffed stared back at me. Haku was beside me, laughing.

"Kira," he said, shaking his head. He leaned forward and opened the window. The dragon slid in. The air shimmered for a moment and then a small girl with black hair stood in the middle of the room, rubbing her head. She had iridescent tattoos around her eyes and cheeks, and eyes to match. They shimmered hundreds of different colours.

"Kohaku!" she said brightly. "You're back! And Chihiro! I knew you'd be a pretty one." She bounded over to Haku and hugged him, and did the same to me.

"Uh," I said.

"Oh, sorry," the girl said. "I'm Kira-kira. But you can call me Kira." So this was the gem spirit.

"Haku, I'm sorry about Sakura. She just doesn't get it, does she?" Kira sighed.

"I know," he agreed.

"Um, I'm still confused." I said. "How do you know me?"

"Oh, sorry. When Haku left, he asked me too keep an eye on you. Make sure you were safe."

"Are you saying Haku hired you to stalk me?"

"In a way, yes." Kira said.

"Kira did not stalk you," Haku interjected. "She merely _watched_ you."

"Yeah, yeah, huge difference." I scoffed.

"There is."  
"Whatever."

Kira shook her head. "You two are so cute," I blushed.

"Time for Kira to go now," Haku said playfully, directing her towards the window.

"I'll be back," she whispered. "After all, I did stalk you for five years."

"Goodbye." Kira fell out the window, and stretched out as a dragon, back towards the forest. I turned towards Haku. "So, what are we going to do today?"

The doorbell rang. "Geez, we're popular today." I skipped lightly down the stairs and opened the door.

"Hey, Chihiro," the girl said. It was Emi. She was smiling, as usual.

"Hey, Emi," I said, still grinning.

"Wow, you're in a good mood today," she observed. "But you skipped school. I had to run over here during lunch."

"Slept late." I shrugged. She laughed. "Holy crap, you slept! There's definitely something wrong with you." I shoved her playfully.

"So, Chihiro," she began. "Do you want to do something this afternoon?" I shook my head. "Nah, I'm busy. Go hang out with Kin." Kin was Emi's boyfriend. She nodded. "Okay. See ya, then." She waved and bounded down the stairs. I shut the door and turned around.

"Is Emi your friend?" Haku asked. I nodded. "Emi is short for Emiko."

"Ah," he said, pulling me by the waist. And then I blacked out.

**A/N: I do not own any Spirited Away or any of Miyazaki's work! Please give reviews! **


	4. Back to the Spirit World

Kira led me to the familiar red tunnel. I'd been here so many times over the past three years, wondering if I should go back, or straining my ears for the sound of Haku's voice. And now I was here. We walked through quickly, entering the foyer area. Spirits were crammed in every space waiting for the boat that would take them to the bathhouse. Kira held her head high and walked straight through, me trailing behind. Somehow we boarded the boat without being noticed.

When we got to the other side, Kira grabbed my hand and sprinted to the bridge. I held my breath. Kira smiled pleasantly at everyone. Once we were inside, she led me to a lift.

"Thank you, Kira. I really appreciate this." I smiled at her. She shrugged. "Anytime." I pulled the lever and ascended the numerous floors quickly. I stepped out into Yubaba's foyer, opening the door, and ignoring the complaints the doorknocker screeched at me. I ran through the long corridors. I could hear talking.

"I knew you'd come back," Yubaba said. "If your precious little human girl was in danger. Dragons are so predictable."

"Will you leave her alone?" Haku hissed. "If I stay, will you leave her alone?"

"Yes, of course," she said. "I have no use for humans." I stopped at the door, still listening. I could hear her feet tapping against the floor as she walked towards him. I peered through a tiny crack in the door. She had her hand outstretched. Haku's eyes widened with realisation and then he slumped to the floor. I slapped my hand over my mouth to stop myself from crying out. She strode over to him, and poured a dark liquid into his throat.

"Now nothing will break my control over him." She cackled to herself.

I quietly ran back through the foyer and into a lift. I sank down onto the floor. What now? The lift stopped, and I raised my head. I heard a gasp.

"Sen!" Lin said, kneeling down beside me. She took my hand and led me out of the lift. "What are you doing here? It's been ages!" she said luridly. I just sadly shook my head, tears starting to drip slowly down my face.

"What's wrong?" she asked, stroking my hair.

"It's Haku."

Lin took me to Kamajii, to see if he knew what to do.

"Well, hello, Sen," he said, turning his head to look at me. "What's wrong?"

"Haku's is under Yubaba's control," Lin explained. "And Sen heard her say it was unbreakable."

"Please call me Chihiro," I said. "What are we going to do?"

Kamajii looked thoughtful for a moment. "No Face," he said simply, as if it resolved everything.

"What about No Face?"

"Don't you know? When you help a No Face, you are entitled to be helped."

**A/N: I do not own any Spirited Away or any of Miyazaki's work! Please give reviews! I forgot to mention: **

**Sakura: Cherry blossoms**

**Kira-Kira: Glittering**

**Emiko: Beloved **


	5. Kiss of Life

I sat at the train station, stolen tickets in my hand. It'd been so easy to swipe them. Man, these spirits were really careless. It had been raining, and the tracks were covered with water. I remembered the day I'd woken up to see it in this state; it had blown me away. It was so beautiful…

The train came into the station, splashing me slightly. I stood, and handed to ticket master my ticket. I climbed aboard. The next hour or so, I thought about how I was going to explain my absence to my parents. It was light; they would notice I was gone. I came up empty.

I was so relieved when it came to Swamp Bottom; I jumped off the train and sprinted the next kilometre to Zeniba's hut. I knocked on the door.

"Chihiro!" Zeniba said brightly, leading me in. "What brings you here? I see you still have my hair tie."

I nodded, and smiled, fingering my dark hair. "Um, is No Face here? It's an emergency."

"Of course. No Face!" she called, leaning over her shoulder. He came like a breath of wind, silently and unexpected. He tilted his head slightly, as if curious.

"Haku is under Yubaba's control again, and she said it was unbreakable. Kamajii said that if you help a No Face…"

"A No Face helps you in return." Zeniba finished for me. "Yes." I said. No Face dipped his head, and offered me his hand. I took it, and words sprung into my head.

_It is a powerful curse; one I am unable to break. But I am able to make it breakable. I hope this assists you on your quest, Chihiro._ I withdrew my hand, staring at it first, then No Face. He bowed again.

"Thank you," I breathed. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I have to…"

Zeniba laughed. "How do you plan on getting back." I shrugged. "I planned to walk along the train line,"

"It would take you hours."

"I know." Zeniba shook her head. She placed her hand on the top of my arm, and suddenly I was back in the boiler room, tiny soot balls scurrying around underneath my feet.

"Kamajii!" I cried. He looked up. Lin was sitting in the room too; her head jerked up. "You made it, you dope." She grinned at me. "So, what happened?"

I frowned. "I'm not exactly sure…but No Face said he couldn't break it. But he made it breakable."

"So what now?" Lin asked. Kamajii sighed. "Have you learnt nothing, Lin? It's obvious what'll break Yubaba's hold on Haku."

"And what may that be?"

"Love, you dope."

I slunk quietly around the bathhouse, my eyes peeled for Haku. I saw him supervising a group of girls who were cleaning; they were giggling slightly. He turned to face me. My heart melted. He had the same face, twisted cruelly. The once-warm eyes were steely and hard. He was hardly the Haku I remembered. He caught my eye. He barked something to the girls, and started towards me. I jumped and slid through an open door into an empty room. I heard his light footsteps.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked sharply. He squinted at me. "Aren't you supposed to be cleaning? Get to work!"

"Haku," I said, walking over to him, placing my hand on his upper arm. He flinched.

"It's Master Haku to you. Get your hands off me." he growled, turning to look me in the eye. He brought his hand up to my face, and slapped my cheek hard. I fell slightly, but gripped his body for support. I pulled myself back up, staring deeply into his wide, green eyes. His face was so close. I could see his eyes flicker briefly, and then I knew it was time for the kill. I leaned in and kissed him as softly and as passionately as I knew how.

**A/N: I do not own any Spirited Away or any of Miyazaki's work! Please give reviews! I'm sorry these are so short but I was in a rush. I hope you enjoy them! I'm not very good at coming up with titles, so if you have any suggestions feel free to let me know. THANK YOU!! =P**


	6. Another Dilemma

"Chihiro." Haku blinked, looking around. His head snapped back to mine, caressing my cheek. "Oh, I'm so sorry! What was I thinking?" he turned my head, inspecting the mark. He pressed it gingerly. Ow. That was going to be a nasty bruise.

"Haku? Where are you? Why did you leave those girls unattended?" Yubaba's voice trilled. Haku's expression turned to one of care to brutality.

"I'm in here. _This_ girl was neglecting her duties. I was telling her what happens to girls who don't do what their told." He smiled evilly. I quickly took out my hair and let it sprawl across my face, hold my hair tie tightly in my palm. Yubaba appeared in the doorway. "Okay, then. But get back to work. Give her to Lin."

He motioned to me. I quickly rose, following him out. Yubaba cast a suspicious eye over me. Haku grabbed he harshly and pulled me along. He pushed me into a lift, and then turned to me.

"Are you okay? Does it hurt? I'm so sorry!" he asked, face riddled with worry. I smiled. "I'm fine. Well, now that you're back anyway." I kissed him.

"Why did you come here? I told you not to." He said. I shrugged. "These past three years, I've never done what I'm told." he laughed. "But who helped you? You can't have gotten across the water without help."

"Kira helped me. And Lin, and Kamajii, and No Face…"

"Kira's here?"

"Yeah."

"We've got to go get her. And then we'll go home." Haku promised.

"You say that like it's a good thing. We can't just leave Lin and Kamajii here with Yubaba in control."

Haku was silent for a moment. "I'll take you back. I'll deal with-"

"No. I'm staying with you." I said definitely, crossing my arms. Haku frowned. He was used to me doing as he said. "It's not safe here, Chihiro."

"Then everyone else comes back with us."

"I don't think that's possible."

"So we stay here and fix the problem." I said. I turned to face the lift door. It was stopping, and we had to keep up the pretence. Haku gripped my upper arm and pulled me roughly out. I kept my head down, my hair obscuring my face, making it impossible for anyone to identify me. We kept walking until we came to the room where the other girls slept. I pushed my hair out of my eyes. "We have to help them."

"I will."

"I'm staying with you."

"Chihiro-"

I sighed impatiently, interrupting him. "I don't think I could've lasted much longer, Haku. I have to stay with you." I said softly, looking into his eyes.

"I know what you mean." He kissed me quickly and then told me to find some clothes; that we might be here for a while. My thought briefly flickered to my parents; but the thought was discarded quickly at the prospect of being with Haku.

I noticed that the girls had their eye on Haku; I knew I had to be careful. They hardly paid any attention to me while they tried unsuccessfully to flirt with him. I cracked up every time they did. While I worked I tried to think of a solution; of how to get rid of Yubaba. I came up empty. Haku wasn't having much luck either. But then I got it. It was daytime; the two of us were walking.

"Why don't we lure her to the human world?" I suggested. "What would that do?" Haku shrugged. "I'm not sure, since she's not a spirit. I don't think she's ever been outside the Spirit World before."

"Well, we can try it. Maybe she won't be able to get back in."

"Maybe. But how are we going to get her out of here?"

Another dilemma.

**A/N: I do not own any Spirited Away or any of Miyazaki's work! Please give reviews! I'm sorry it's been a while since I've updated this story. I've had a bit of writer's block. **


	7. Boh

I'd been here for nearly three days. My routine was quickly settled into: I'd wake up tired; that was because I'd spent the day with Haku. I'd quickly run downstairs to work, Haku supervising me. Every now and then, when the other girls weren't looking, he'd smile at me, or grimace in apology. But when he couldn't, I would listen to the other girls gossiping.

"Have you noticed he's aging?" one girl whispered. Her friend nodded. "I know! Do you think he's Bonded?"

"Obviously." The first girl rolled her eyes. "But with a human? _So _gross."

"Maybe we can make him see differently." The second girl said slyly.

The first girl sighed. "You do know you can't break a Bond?" the other girl shrugged. "Says who?"

"It's been tried, you can't break it."

The conversation went on for a while in this fashion. It made me wonder just how much Haku was sacrificing for me. I felt like I was going to cry; so I concentrated on scrubbing the portion of floor I'd been allocated. And then it hit me. Had Yubaba Bonded?

"Haku, tell me more about Bonding," I requested. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, it's like you're attached to somebody…you have to take care of them."

"So it's not necessarily like our relationship?"

"No. It can be anything. But only spirits can Bond."

"I wonder if…" I trailed off. Yubaba might have Bonded. It was possible. I thought of all the possible people she could've Bonded with…no-one came to mind.

"What?" Haku asked.

"I wonder if Yubaba Bonded." I said. Haku nodded. "That would actually make a lot of sense. Most people that have Bonded are usually really overprotective and bossy."

"That makes sense." I grinned and stopped walking, turning to face him. I stood on my toes to lightly kiss him. He laughed. "But who to?" he asked himself.

"Honestly, I have no idea," I confessed. We both walked in silence for a while. "Any progress?" I wondered aloud. "Maybe it's too obvious…" he mumbled quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"It might be Boh," he admitted.

I crept carefully through the long corridors. Even thought Haku had assured me that Yubaba was asleep, I was expecting her to jump out from behind me. I opened the door slightly, wincing when it creaked. I hoped she didn't wake up.

Our plan was to get Boh and take him to the human world. And because he trusted me, it was my job to get him there. Then, once I was outside, Haku would alert Yubaba to his disappearance, claiming to have seen me and Boh going across the field. And because she was Bonded (hopefully) to him, she'd come running, and then, because she didn't belong in that world, Yubaba would disappear for good.

I tiptoed across to the wide green double doors that were the entrance to Boh's room. I opened them, and peeked inside. Boh was sitting on the floor, looking bored, and a bit depressed. His head shot up when he saw me.

"Sen!" he boomed cheerfully, starting towards me. I smiled, and placed my finger over my lips. He cocked his head, and then nodded. "Do you want to come for a walk?" I whispered. Boh nodded, his footsteps echoing off the walls. I started to run.

"Catch me if you can!" I yelled. If Yubaba hadn't awakened at Boh's yelling, she must be a deep sleeper. I bolted down the winding corridors, Boh stumbling after me, laughing. He shape-shifted into a mouse, which surprised me. I thought he'd only been able to change back from it. This only made this task easier. I scooped him up and placed him in my pocket. I heard a rush of air from behind me. I turned.

Haku was there in his dragon form. I saw urgency in his eyes. It could only mean one thing.

Yubaba was awake, and she knew we were here.

I jumped on Haku's back. As soon as I was on, he twisted through the corridors easily, and then ran straight into a window. I ducked my head, trying to shelter it from the millions of glass fragments, falling like snow. Haku was hardly deterred by this; he kept going. I raised my head a little. Cuts covered his back, but luckily none seemed too serious. I could hear screeching from behind me, I guessed it was Yubaba. I could feel claws digging into my side.

I clung tightly to Haku's back as he shot through the air. I could hear Yubaba behind us. Haku suddenly shot downwards, straight into the field of grass. I heard a breath from beside me. I turned my head, seeing a tiny, glittering dragon. Kira. Haku's belly was grazing the top of the grass, we were so close. We were heading towards the red tunnel. I ducked my head again, fearing that we would not fit. I was wrong. We fit perfectly, gliding smoothly along the tunnels. Unfortunately, so did Yubaba. She was hot on our heels.

I saw the sunlight, the end of the tunnel. Haku veered off to one side, just missing the statue. Kira shot out after us, and so did Yubaba.

I held my breath, bracing myself for what was to come.

**A/N: I do not own any Spirited Away or any of Miyazaki's work! Please give reviews! I'm sorry it's been a while since I've updated this story. I've had a bit of writer's block. Thank you to all my subscribers! **


	8. Chihiro and Haku

The sight was strange. Yubaba looked up at the sky, eyes wide with comprehension. She looked over at me, snarling.

"You!" she hissed. Yubaba lunged towards me, but Haku beat her. She held out her hand, shoving him away with magic. He tried to scramble up again, but he was locked to the ground. Kira emerged from the trees, leaves in her hair. She sprinted to my side, fire in her eyes. But Yubaba tossed her aside like a doll. I stood, rooted to the ground. She took my chin in her hand, yanking it up. My eyes were frightened, I knew. I felt claws in my pocket, scrabbling to escape.

"So pretty, such a waste," she tutted.

"No!" Haku cried. "Don't touch her!" he unsuccessfully tried to stand. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply. So my short, uneventful life was over. Well, apart from the past few days, and all those years ago. I thought about them, the best times of my life…

I heard a gasp, and my eyes flew open. Yubaba was staring open-mouthed at something from behind me. She started to retreat, eyes still locked on whatever was behind me. Then, suddenly, she stopped, and shattered into millions of tiny pieces. Like a dragon shattering to pieces. But the pieces did not linger; they simply evaporated. Haku scrambled up from the ground, and so did Kira. I turned.

Sakura.

I just blinked, and then rubbed my eyes to make sure I was seeing correctly. But, yes, Sakura stood there. She turned and started to leave. "Sa-sakura," I stuttered lamely. Sakura stopped, and turned slowly. Even Haku stared at her, unsure of what had happened.

"Yes, what do you want?" she snapped rudely. "I don't have all day."

"Thank you," I choked out. "You're welcome." She replied, and disappeared.

"Um, well, that was unexpected," Kira finally said, breaking the silence. Haku just kept staring.

"Haku?" my voice seemed to bring him out of his reverie. He shook his head, and ran to me. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" he asked softly. There was an edge to his voice; I knew he was distracted by Sakura.

"I'm fine," I said. "Go find Sakura." He nodded, and disappeared into the trees. I turned to Kira.

"Well, my parents are going to be worried and extremely angry at me," I sighed. "So I better go home."

"I'll walk you home." She kept pace with me easily. I walked slowly, looking up at the trees, which thinned into sky, and then the sun. I had to look away then; the sun burned my eyes. The silence was loud. Kira didn't look at me; she just stared at the ground.

"Why did Sakura help me?" I blurted without thinking. I quickly slapped my hand across my mouth. Kira looked up; frowning. "I'm…I'm not sure, Chihiro," she confessed. "It's so unlike her…and especially towards you. No offence, but she really hates you."

"I understand." I paused. "Ow!" a sharp pain had cut my side. I could see tiny specks of blood appearing; I cursed. Kira's head whipped around. "What?" she asked.

"Boh," I said, pulling the mouse out of my pocket. His face was irritated. "Sorry. Kira, can you take him back? You better give him to Zeniba…" I trailed off. She nodded, and took him in her hands. I could see my little blue house now. I remembered the first day we'd come here, and my mother had pointed it out. "Thanks, Kira. I can go from here now," I stopped and faced her. "Thank you, Kira. For everything you've done. You're a great friend." I hugged her. She seemed a little surprised at first, and then returned the hug. Kira smiled.

"Thank you, Chihiro…for everything you've done. You've changed a lot of things, even if you haven't realised it." She tilted her head slightly, a small smile on her face, and then disappeared. I stared up at the house, and trudged up the hill.

"Um, is anyone home?" I said loudly. I heard footsteps, and shouts. "Chihiro!" I heard. My mother appeared, obviously worried about my disappearance. "I was so worried. I thought that you'd…" she stopped. I looked down. I knew she was remembering what happened last summer. I'd felt so lost, and hurt, and angry. I needed to get _away._ So, I left. I'd left without any explanation. I had left without a trace. I'd come back, after I had realised that leaving wasn't going to fix what I needed most. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I…I just needed some time to think."

My father came in, looking distressed. "Chihiro, sweetie," he breathed, embracing me. After a minute, he realised me. I yawned. "I'm really tired. I'm sorry I took off like that…I won't do it again, I promise," I said, heading up the stairs. I could hear my parents talking, arguing.

"We've got to do something about this. She's not getting any better."

"She looked better, though. She had colour in her cheeks! Chihiro looked more like herself than she has in years. She looks _happy_."

"Well, fine. But we've still got to do something. What if she goes off again?" I shut my bedroom door, drowning out the words so they were nothing more than muffled cries. I turned, and saw Haku sitting in my desk chair. Wow, that was quick. I sat on my bed. He looked up. He stood and sat next to me on the bed.

"Did you find Sakura?" I asked, anxious. He nodded. "Her actions were surprising," he paused. "So I caught up with her. And I asked her…and she said, 'I can see how much she means to you, and how much you mean to her…and I just couldn't stand by and watch her die. It would make you unhappy.' And she disappeared." He stopped. Okay, this was weird. Sakura _hates_ me. I mean, _really _hates me. I stole her soul mate! But, I could understand this.

"She still loves you," I whispered quietly. "And she'll do anything to make you happy." I sighed. What if…what if he still loved her? What if he realised that I was just a stupid little girl? What if he left me?

"I know," he replied. His voice broke my train of thought, but not my doubt. "But, I love _you_. Don't forget that. Don't ever think that I could go on without you…we've spent too much time apart. I'm not going anywhere." I looked into his perfect emerald eyes, and I knew that he was speaking the truth.

"I love you, too." And he bent down to kiss me. I took his hand.

"Promise me you'll never let go," I whispered in his ear.

"I swear I will never let go. I'll stay with you. I promise." And leaned down to kiss me one more time. And the world didn't matter anymore. I had everything; I had what I'd been longing for. I had Haku. It was just Haku and I, together for the rest of our lives. And no matter what tried to threaten our relationship next, whatever was to come, he'd be there by my side, we'd survive. Chihiro and Haku.

**A/N: I do not own any Spirited Away or any of Miyazaki's work! Please give reviews! Thank you to all my subscribers. This is the last chapter, enjoy!**


End file.
